This invention relates to the remote-control, load switching, protection and enhancement of reliability and longevity of applications of the internal combustion engine, more especially as to diesel generator stand-by use.
Prior art devices realize one or more of these objectives, but to the best of inventor's knowledge, the instant invention is the first to provide ALL of the above in a simple, inexpensive and easily applied device.
Some engine safety devices provide for engine shut-down upon sensing of oil pressure loss, by means of fuel system starvation. Such is undesirable as requiring manual priming for restart and, furthermore, is destructive of injector pump in diesel applications.
Other throttle-active safeties operate upon the throttle without starving the fuel system and there by avoid such drawbacks. This class of devices are usually much more complex, as found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,355 oil pressure regulator and complicated valve requirements. Still others, as well as afore-said device, require an auxiliary fluid power source, and further rely upon pressure ratios, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,468, rather than one absolute pressure for operation. Many, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,379,187 are designed to provide proportional slow-down only, upon a fault condition, with said sighted reference also requiring a pumped-flow-coolant system to operate its mechanical coolant system fault sensor. Few are fail-safe in system operation. Some are single purpose add-ons. U.S. Pat. No. 3,456,637 discloses a throttle protective device designed solely for purpose of preventing engine speed overshoot upon start, in order to preclude engine shut-down upon overshoot, by other, non included means. Said device does not provide for throttle off positioning. Nor can it reset to idle position, in no-fault operation, until after other non included means has shut-down engine. Furthermore, in this example, fluid pressure is applied to weak, leak-prone, side of hydraulic cylinder.
Since all above cited references disclose mechanical, hydraulic, and/or pneumatic operated devices, devoid of electrical control means, they do not readily lend themselves to remote start/stop application. Nor do they provide a simple inexpensive means of realizing benefits to be derived from automatic engine warm-up/cool-down during cycling.
Instant invention was conceived to, and does, combine remote-controlled start/stop, automatic adjustable proportional warm-up/cool-down time dependent upon engine/ambient temperature, load-switching, fault shut-down, idle/off stand-by select, enhancement of reliability and longevity ALL in one simple, reliable and inexpensive device requiring no modification of engine and being simple to install. Remote control may be realized by simple switches or automated circuitry. This device provides for protection from oil pressure, temperature, and other fault conditions by simple connection of off-the-shelf inexpensive electrical switch transducers such as found on automobiles. Furthermore, redundant and fail-safe oil pressure fault protection is inherent and self-contained within this invention by virture of combination of return spring, controlled-check valve, and electrical solenoid valve type. Since instant device is also inherently free from speed overshoot, and limits maximum throttle setting to preset value, no additional means of protection, as found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,456,637, is necessary. In governor applications, though governor is under firm control of invention, it is free to react to load changes upon engine. Perusal of instant disclosure, instructs same may perform functions of references and more.